Inkjet printing is a common printing method used for both large scale printing, such as on banners and other signage items, as well as small scale general consumer printing. Inkjet printing generally involves a number of nozzles configured to eject ink onto a substrate or print medium such as paper. The nozzles are part of a print head that is often integrated into an ink pen of an ink cartridge. The ink cartridge includes the main ink reservoir where ink is stored before it is fed to the nozzles for ejection onto the print medium. Ink cartridges are typically placed on a movable platform often referred to as a carriage, that moves the ink cartridges and thus the print head nozzles in relation to the print medium.
An inkjet printer typically includes control circuitry for controlling when the nozzles fire as they move in relation to the print medium. An electrical interface is used to send signals between the carriage and the control circuitry of the printer. This electrical interface includes a number of electrical contacts on the carriage that are configured to contact and electrically interface with corresponding similarly positioned electrical contacts on an ink cartridge disposed on the carriage. The electrical contacts on the carriage are also electrically connected to a number of interconnects leading to the control circuitry of the printer. These interconnects be formed of a flexible conductive material that allows the ink pens on the carriage to receive data from the control circuitry while the carriage is in motion. This data may include which nozzles are to fire at a specific time as the carriage moves across the print medium.
A higher nozzle count within the cartridges allows for a better quality image to be printed onto the print medium. Additionally, the higher nozzle count may allow for printing at higher speeds. However, a higher nozzle count typically requires a larger electrical interface with a greater number of interconnects to carry a great volume of data for controlling the increased number of nozzles. A larger electrical interface usually leads to higher costs. Thus, it may be difficult to balance the demand for high performance printers at moderate cost.
Throughout the drawings, identical reference numbers designate similar, but not necessarily identical, elements.